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of France had succeededINTERESTS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 487in drawing the then sovereign ofthe Russian empire. The revival of this measure mightseem the more surprisingsince it was a measure of Catharine II., which Paul I. was otherwise certainly not disposedto revive. It was now followed up with all the impetuositywhich marked his character : not only Denmark and Sweden,but Prussia also was obliged to accede to it,or to run therisk of being treated as an enemy. The claims were thesame as under Catharine, only in consequence of a remarkable incident, a new one had been annexed. A Danish convoy, accompanied by a 1frigate,was compelled to undergo asearch ;whereas according to the maritime laws in force upto that time, the convoy of a man of war furnished security,that the vessels under her protection had no contrabandgoods on board.By the institution of this league England was placed in astate of hostility towards this half of Europe. The determination of the question, whether the claims of the armedneutrality are, on a general view, compatible with the law ofnations or not, we will leave to theorists that ; England, under existing circumstances, could not suffer the commerceof itsenemy to be freely carried on under neutral weflags,believe no practical statesman, whose judgmentis unbiassedby party prejudice, will deny. Indeed we have no hesitation in assertingthat an international maritime law willnever be established further than on paper, so long as thatprinciple shall be maintained in its full extent ;the presentvast importance of maritime commerce to many of the stateswill not permit more. The just censure to which Englandwas amenable in those times does not lie, in our opinion, inher refusal to recognise that principle, but in the unjust extension which she gave to her claims and to her proceedingsrespecting prizes.If she had only confined her claims tothe seizure of the enemy's goodsif;she had exercised strictjustice in every thing else, and treated neutrals as neutrals,the whole contest might perhaps have been superseded.Be that as itmay, it was no longer possible for Englandto avoid the conflict. The measure which Paul I. employed in seizing upon all English ships in his ports, wasequivalent to an act of hostility ;and in politicsas well as1The frigate Freja jshe was taken and brought to England.